Champions Trophy win as big as 1992 World Cup triumph: Afridi

There is something about Pakistan and their unpredictability on a cricket field and being a Pakistani fan can some times be gut-wrenching as you do not know which side will turn up on the match day. Having barely qualified for the Champions Trophy, the eighth ranked One-Day International (ODI) team pipped arch-rivals and favourites India in the final to win the coveted crown for the first time.

"This is one victory that Pakistan fans will remember for long. It has been an ultra-quick turnaround from no-hopers to champions for the Pakistan players and the manner in which the team won the match was really impressive," wrote former Pakistan captain, Shahid Afridi in his blog for ICC.

The 37-year-old, who had been part of the mercurial Pakistan side for close to two decades, credited the turnaround to the youngsters. The likes of Hassan Ali, Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan played key roles in helping Pakistan secure the title.

"Pakistan has unearthed new heroes in a span of 14 days. From Fakhar Zaman to Hassan Ali and Shadab Khan, Pakistan has shown the world its rich talent and pedigree. In Sarfraz (Ahmed), it now has a captain who can perhaps take the team to unprecedented glory in the years ahead," opined Afridi.

The man of the match in the final, Zaman, also came under a lot of appreciation from the former allrounder. The 27-year-old made his ODI debut in the tournament and went onto amass 252 runs, which included two fifties and his maiden hundred in the final.

"I would rate his performance as arguably the greatest by a Pakistani in a world event final considering that this was only his fourth ODI and first ever against India. I was hugely impressed by his courage despite getting hit in the head early in his innings and how he forgot that to build a most memorable innings," said Afridi.

If Zaman led the batting charge, it was Mohammad Amir, who jolted India with his early strikes. The left-arm speedster had had an ordinary tournament, where he had picked only two wickets until the final. However, he bowled the spell of the competition as he accounted for the India's top three - Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

"Today was the day when Mohammad Amir had to rise and perhaps redeem himself for good. That's exactly what the star performer did; his opening spell was an absolute delight to watch. Indians were relying heavily on their star studded top-order of Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and Amir dismantled the trio in a sensational burst," he added.

By winning the eight-team event, Pakistan became one of the four sides to win all three ICC events; 50-over World Cup, World T20 and Champions Trophy. Pakistan have been involved in the five finals and have won three of them, which is more than a decent conversion rate.

Afridi also put the Champions Trophy triumph on the same pedestal as the 1992 World Cup victory. He said: "The 1992 World Cup win gave us a new generation of match winners and this win ranks very close to that, I am confident that Pakistan cricket is back on track and we will see this team reach some incredible highs in the years to come, especially if the team continues to play with the kind of passion and commitment displayed in this tournament."